The Modern Occultist

What's an Archetypal 'Modern Occultist'? 

10 min read

Have you ever wondered what occultists look like these days? 

In reality, if you're writing a book, it would be cool to make your modern occultist someone different to the pale skinned moody satanic goth. Honestly, enthusiasts of the esoteric are a diverse bunch, many of them come across as regular people.

Isn't it all weird and dark? 

Agreed ceremonial rituals and things like divination with presences might seem odd, but the less grand stuff like sigil magick; which, for instance, the comic book legend, Grant Morrison practices as a Chaos Practitioner is most common. Chaos Magick is a late twentieth century movement based on the occult works of the artist Austin Osman Spare. Another common type of magick is found in Wicca and Eclectic or folk magick. In this blog, I'll share a worldview of someone called Baz, a bit of mystical bloke inspired by Hermeticism and Chaos Magick theory. 

Pre-determinism is a physical thing: context. 

Our world, according to Baz, is full of pre-determining and competing factors that are diverse and unseen, some of which, we are still unaware. Ten thousand years ago, after developing agriculture, we acquired more free time, and then we invented stuff like writing, as well as mathematics and new technologies. These outcomes manifested because of determining factors, which we often, colloquially call 'fate' today. 

Baz is always using his comparison of how we commonly modify our dogs behaviour with food rewards; this is his way of showing how dogs (like other animals) are slaves to their bio-programming. We know how their barking at the door indicates a visitor, we are aware our food causes them to beg. Their actions are predictable. When we learn the biological drives of a creature, we recognise their robot-like perogatives. Even though, we are susceptible to the same rules ourselves. 

That being said, our evolutionary history hit the jackpot; our mind awakened and challenged its own instinctive urges and reactions. We stopped to think and formed disciplined arts. Baz is under the belief that tell tale signs can be seen across time and civilisation of our self awakening. Some cultures call it the divine spark, what ancient Greeks called Synderesis, Quakers call it our inner light, our word 'soul,' originated from Old Saxon 'Sēola'. 

As mentioned above, our sharpened sentience emerged and ancient religious, philosophical and esoteric writings have wrote about it; even science says humans started cooking meat, gaining extra nutrients that served to improve the human cerebral cortex. Our high levels of the foxp2 gene has helped to enable us to communicate complex ideas. Trying my best to avoid sounding like Graham Hancock here, but, it seems that eastern dharmic traditions value thought and experience with the divine. These are perennial themes. 

"Romans 8:16 implies the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit, which is shows there is a spiritual essence within us that is connected to God." 

Baz is a biologist and is quick to remind me that as humans, our bodies are driven by the same essential biomechanical determinants as what we see with animals. This is also part of his occult view: Oxytocin brings us love and desire, with help from Vasopressin, Dopamine, Seratonin, Norepinephrine, Testosterone and Estrogen. Ghrelin is responsible for letting you think you are hungry, it isn't your mind, but the flesh. That inner voice warding off another portion of chips; that's leptin. 

Our anger, shame and self worth, these aspects about who we believe we are; our politics, spiritual convictions, culture or our taste in music, can all be influenced by these pre-determining forces. Fate, is very much the chaos that provides the natural order. It is a blessing that we can choose to discipline ourselves and think. 

Maybe, it could be argued, humanity just turned mentally diagnosable and somewhat increasingly egocentric. Baz doesn't see eye to eye with me on this one! I found support in the words of Arthur Shopenhauer, who thought our suffering is greater than the suffering of animals—did we lose the plot? Well, this German philosopher made an interesting point by saying that all of nature, including our own, is an expression of an unquenchable will. I think he was talking about physical motivators like determining factors that drive desire. 

True, even strict Buddhists might agree with Shopenhauer in principle; possibly mentioning the parable of the thirsty man drinking from the sea, it sort of fits. The colour and fragrance of Buddhas flower, might not be harmed by the bee that gathers nectar, but in our own lust to gain profit, we humans destroy eco-systems, just to produce and sell paper. Human being clearly aren't all wise. 

"Tathagatagarbha Sutra. Good sons, this Dharmakaya of the Tathagata is eternal, permanent, pure, and joyful. It is the self-nature of all beings, the Tathagata embryo. All beings possess this Tathagata embryo, but it is covered by the five skandhas. When this Tathagata embryo is liberated and uncovered, it can comprehend the ultimate reality." 

Wait a second, don't think this is a religious blog or any kind of bleeding heart appeal. Not going there. I'm only sharing hermetic views of a chaos guy called Baz, in relation to predestiny and magick. 

Baz believes human will and indeterminism have something in common; people are inherently irrational but strive to be rational. Human behaviour is not always predictable. Our collective choices and actions influence the course of lives and the world. Timeless pursuits for power and progress are dogs fighting for the bone; it's egocentric and a biology thing more so than anything spiritual. Baz thinks that developments in creativity, commerce, politics and religion, as well as critical thinking have contributed to liberate us from our mental poverty, but it has caused problems. 

Sigil Magick: An Example of Magick. 

These things are intent and symbol manipulation. Below is an example of your intent for a sigil. 

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF INTENT

What we do is cancel out vowels:

THIS IS AN EXEMPLE OF INTENT

Leaving this:

THS S N XMPL NTNT

Then we reduce it down by chopping off duplicate letters: 

T H S N X M P L 

Now draw a circle and get creative with your letters. This could mean translating them into other symbolic equivalents: Akkadian, Braille, Cuneiform, Dutch, Enochian, whatever, you're in charge. Make your basic sigil:

After this, we might want to simplify again, because the intent has to become symbolic:

Now you have your sigil, you have to charge it. This can be done in more than one way. Engage with the sigils you make in an altered mental state, it does something. People might choose an empty thoughtless meditative state, others might use intoxicants, or reach musical euphoria, everyone has their own way—again, you're in charge, it's your will. Then, when the time is right, destroy the sigil to release it or try something else.

In Wicca—according to the complete book of witchcraft—sigils seem to be formed in a similar way to Chaos Magick sigils. It's the same letter alteration, manipulating a new form from a statement of intent. Shaping a unique, abstract symbol. In all traditions, the sigil is always charged, be that with energy through a chant, ritual, blood, or meditation, before it's final release to the world. 

Sigil magick is subjective at the end of the day, and quite unverifiable by science; Baz said, 'we don't test the fisherman who reckons he can catch big fish, but we know the fish are present.' No magician can magic their enemies cheek into a vagina, it's not like fiction. Some practitioners believe their efforts influence the crazy undercurrent of the quantum world; there are scientists and philosophers who suspect quantum mechanics and consciousness are somehow connected. However, belief in Mana or Gnostic concepts, such as The Fullness or Abraxas and then we have Goetia and demonic work. Diversity. 

In Thelemic and Hermetic traditions, sigil creation may likely involve Kabbalistic sephirot, Egyptian or Gnostic ideas. A sigil can mix letters and numbers, including seperate symbols altogether, resulting with a complicated design. 

"The Corpus Hermeticum. What dost thou, father, mean by this? The mind is parted from soul and soul from spirit? Whereas thou said'st the soul was the mind's vesture, and the soul's the spirit." 

A few times, Baz, has insisted to me that no level headed sigilist should waste time trying to defeat the will of a country who have a vested interested in the lottery jackpot. Even with an extraordinary display of will power, faith and magick, winning is very unlikely to happen. Dreams of wealth and prestige are a physical motivation, influencing a win undermines the game. That being said, people have successfully used sigils to attract money in different ways. 

"Katha Upanishad. The Self, smaller than small, greater than great, is hidden in the heart of every creature. A man who is free from desires and free from grief, with mind and senses tranquil, beholds the Self through the grace of the Creator."

Sigils in Chaos Magick might draw from any magical and philosophical or religious system, including Thelemic and Hermetic or Satanic, Celtic, Christian, Lovecraftian or even the power of Loony Tunes. It's said, nothing is true but rather permitted, if you even permit that. Liber Null will tell you, the Chaos Magician is intuitive and experimental; the subjective experience of the practitioner is an alternative any set of rules. 

How does will interact will the world? 

However, starting with skepticism, is it fair to say reports of successful sigil magick could have happened naturally anyway? For example, an unlikable person commits a crime, and as a result, a chaos dude magics out some justice, which the law manifests! Looks good, but, on yer bike—let's call this magical interloping. 

The placebo effect is similar, especially, say, if a person sets off a sigil to ease their own depression. The practitioner's belief in the power of the sigil or ritual, can, in fact, lead to changes in behavior, and then, in turn, his environment. This is not magical-interloping, but rather a form of placebo. Placebo's mind over matter, has an inspired belief providing physical and mental outcomes—by definition, a form of magick. But, come on, really? Yes. 

Quantum mechanics is indetermined, existing in the fundamental level. Particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously, there is an inherent randomness in particles and we are still unsure how any of this might affect our world. However, it is smaller than the everyday natural physics we see daily, but increasing evidence suggests our minds may interact with it somehow. This could be pseudo-science, but a respectable line of research could make a great discovery. Speculative, but scientific claims about such things do exist. 

We can't ignore Chaos Theory of John Nash, which suggests that complex systems, like the weather, ecosystems, and even human behavior, can come across as random and unpredictable over time. It's a kind of semi randomness that'll emerge from multiple interplays between components within a system.

The observation effect, in physics, shows that to measure or observe fundamental particles causes them to alter their bevaviour into that of waves. The double-slit experiment has shown this repeatedly. The key question: what is the role of the observer in shaping micro-reality? 

A lot of us have a philosophy or a religion, some kind of theurgy and some of us agnostics and atheists enjoy esoteric practices; it's another spiritual path and shouldn't be judged or seen as a threat.

Are Stay at Home Dads Lazy?

It's Compelling How Human Flaws Shape Character 

8 min read

How People See You

When you're a stay-at-home dad, you can break away from those old roles society expects of you, because it's viewed by many as a positive step towards gender equality. However, if you're an unemployed mentally ill husband who only seems to leave the house for the weekly shop and to walk the dog—you're more of a parasite. 

Fair enough, a stay-at-home dad is expected to engage in various activities with the kids, you know, like reading to them, cooking lunch or playing games and whatever, while also keeping tabs on the housework. We all have our ways of working. Once, there was a time, when the entitled breadwinning husband, who expected a pristine house and a hot meal at the table, was the norm. We've known that's sexist for quite a while now.

I'd like to call myself a house-husband, when I think of the water fights against my kids and their friends the street, but, I'd also like to call myself a billionaire, genius philanthropist—it's a stretch. This is where I could just hide from the vane judgements that float around the heads of certain people who mention my name or give you that dismissive glance that means you're beneath them. In all truth, although the concept of a father who stays at home once grew in popularity, it isn't accepted by all walks of life; from my experiences, even in this age of progressive thinking, politicians expect everyone to work—just turn that disability into an ability and fly!

 

I Want to Fly and Fetch Some Bread

I should be the breadwinner, traditionally speaking, easier said, however; the disability status always seems like a cop-out to Joe Bloggs, and even myself initially, but health is blatantly honest: pending spinal surgery and eye transplants, foot isssues, hip bursa problems, arthritis and that's my better half! 

Hold On, We Had it Tough! 

We had to home educate because the mainstream f*ckers didn't help our kids, but now, they've well surpassed expectations! We had to stay home, nontheless; dark times of severe mental health nearly claimed my daughters life! We watched her drop to six stone, and I remember us having to hide anything sharp, almost 24/7—even checking for broken glass or empty cans when we were out. 

Dark Times

We entertained sending our daughter to a hospital, it was horrific. I'm so glad we didn't! Our NHS mental health hospitals were abysmal, and still are. We recovered together, as a family. These things are happening to people right now, even as you read this, across the UK children's and adolescent mental health is faltering, this means the bulk of psychiatric support is left to parents and guardians, who in turn, are being pushed into employment by the ignorant right wing! I was told by a CAMHS nurse that children often self injure in ward, suicides happen she calmly mentioned this, adding that bullying cannot always be prevented! Recent televised documentaries have shown the extent of such failures across children's mental health care. I feel for other parents.

Mental Health is Health that's Gone Absolutely Mental

Before those years, when it was plain sailing for us, I remember visiting the disability employment service provider, to try and get back into work. She told me I shouldn't be allowed inside anyone's home! You see, my goal was to assess NVQs for a living, which involved home visits; I only wanted a job. She only saw a 'Bipolar' when she talked at me. She openly characterised 'us all' with her historical anecdotes about working with 'us lot,' as if she had exclusivity over my illness, a thing which had somehow made me a new breed of human known as a 'manic'. She told me that she knew why I struggled with work—it was surreal. It was not bipolarity alone, that's for sure. I think that was a government service that destroyed my path to employment, but I had been building myself up for that meeting for days. 

Years prior to any diagnosis, I was watching the Sopranos with a nurse on the night shift in a specialised nursing home—everyone was in bed. Tony Soprano was compelling to watch, a great main character, a mafia boss from New Jersey. He has no choice but to do that job. His criminal life was scary to say the least, but Tony, this tough mobster, was medically depressed; sadness and anxiety messed with his kingpinning, he decided to hide it. Rumours of his depression, pills, instability, involvement from a psychiatrist could have gotten him killed. This show, resonated my past, except the crime part, obviously! Tony Soprano was relatable, given the stigma many of us once faced regardless of background, power or status.

However, when I'm low and hating on myself, I start to envision myself as a Frank Gallagher type character, from that TV show, Shameless. Nature of the depressive beast: I'm a teetotaler, nothing like the man. A depressed mind will almost always attack itself. 

Like Frank, I share fears around workplace performance, in fact I struggle with employment. A while ago, my doctor told me I have a kind of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); this, as well as the bipolarity, explains a few thing; the work based trauma. Well, life's just that for most of us, isn't it? How we prioritize mental health and seek support isn't straightforward. You might acquire a troublesome coping mechanism such as, drinking a few pints of beer or smoking a spliff before going into the dreaded workplace environment; also, pulling another sicky, or getting benzos from off the doctor. 

The Cruelty of People

You can practice Buddhist mindfulness as much as you like; it won't kill that pending doom, the morbid dread, which all affect your inability to concentrate or listen. Those unshakable morbid feelings as you try to go in to work are vile. Maintaining good mental health is crucial 'they say'. If I could have behaved more like a regular Joe during the onset of my mood disorder as a teenager, I would have never been bullied by those philistines in that industrial nightmare. 

Cowardly men watched me being bullied by other adults; I was sixteen years old. On two occasions, grown men of the same scummy clique molested me, one low-life squeezed aggressively—unspeakable embarrassment, shame, and physical pain. All day, everyday, this group ridiculed and mocked me. I was flashed and threatened by adult men. My self respect diminished. 

I eventually discussed the situation with my father, who encouraged me to very much continue going in, and to win their respect. There were skills to be had, to secure my future. Many of us were made redundant after a few months, including myself. I was delighted! Funnily enough, I got a job with my dad. One random day within my first several months of commencing the job, a worker anxiously came running towards me to say my dad had taken a full on sucker punch to the face. He was taken off site! His face was like a balloon. Such thuggery, I thought, seemed to surround the working class.

Conclusively: This Pretty Was Grim. 

His company had treated him terribly during every decade of his loyal service. As you might expect, none of this helped me develop any faith in the employment sector. Sadly so many like me will struggle in this financial climate. When I think of those poor souls worse off than I am, it looks bleak; suicide rates will undoubtedly increase, while self esteem and income continue to fall.

Or the unemployed poor man?

Did Merlin Exist?

The Wise Old Man, Magician and Sage. This Mysterious Old Celt is Truly a Compelling Character!

Magic is Madness

5 to 6 min read

Don't you just love the madness and magic of Merlin? What d'ya mean, no? He's the only the grandaddy of all sorcerers, the one and only true archetypal wizard, the wild man of prophecy. Okay, you get the message. He does have so many presentations, but, his history is very primarily arcane! 

Merlin is fittingly portrayed as a feared druid and a crazy old oracle to the Britons of Dumnonia in Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles. This is a romantic figure glorifying a lost mysterious celtic way of life. Of course, it's very unlikely a man matching our modern vision of Merlin has ever existed; history doesn't always meet our expectations.

'I believe the Gods hate to be bored, so I do my best to amuse them. That way they smile on me. Your God,’ Merlin said sourly, ‘despises amusement, demanding grovelling worship instead. He must be a very sorry creature' 

Bernard Cornwell, The Winter King

I love Merlins origin as a real living druid, or a bard, maybe a madman from our Romano-British period. It was Geoffrey of Monmouth who fictionalised Merlin with the trappings of wizardry in modern fantasy. It's almost always conflict that teases out names of potential interest. 

The fifth and sixth centuries were war ridden. In the east and south, Germanic Tribes who we call Anglo-Saxons founded their kingdoms. Some Britons resisted in the west and north, they also fought themselves—others assimilated into the Germanic way of life. 

 

In popular media, Merlin is often a priceless asset to Arthur and his followers, because of his magical prowess, and foresight. In reality, though, there isn't any evidence to suggest such meetings! All sources for Merlin are post 12th century, but we know some are alleged to be copies of 10th century manuscripts. They were written hundreds of years after the events.

Romano-British Crown and Diadem: Norfolk

Be that as it is, I do like Merlin's defiance; it endures and not just against the Germanic invaders or Mordred's ambitions, but his stubborn defiance toward Derfel and Arthur. The semi demented wizard can appear quite vulnerable but secretly he's deceptively sharp minded because we forget he is a magician. His powers from shape changing to flight are later tweaks to the character by medieval writers. 

In earlier Welsh manuscripts, like the 'The Red Book of Hergest' and 'The Black Book of Carmarthen' Merlin, written as Myrddin Emrys, Wyllt or Merlinus Caledonensis, wasn't a prime 'Sword in the Stone' Disney type wizard, but a crazy bard and prophet, with a sound knowledge of nature.

After a major loss during the battle of Arthuret, Carlisle. This Myrddin (Merlin), was born circa 540 and went mad, totally losing it!! He ran away into the forest where he lived as a wild man, a bit like King Nebuchadnezzar or maybe John the Baptist. Bards were just beneath Druids for the Britons. Maybe Myrddin would have retained some social significance. 

The contradictions that define modern and proto-Merlin's says to me, there was historical inspiration for medieval historical fiction writers like Monmouth. I've barely touched the surface. Other Merlin names from records are:

1. Ambrosius

2. Emrys

3. Myrddin

4. Merlinus

5. Merdinus

6. Merdinn

7. Merlin Ambrosius

8. Merlin Caledonensis

9. Merlin Silvestris

10. Merlinus Arturius

To Conclude... 

Even if this compelling character never existed at all, the stories that surround him bring our attention to the historical context of those times: like the hunger for territory, for instance, supernatural belief, Celtic in-fighting, religious tension, Irish piracy and of course the Anglo-Saxon wars and invasion. For me, personally, Geoffrey of Monmouth's development of Merlin, and his other heroes, most likely a zeitgeist. 

Merlin is comparable to Gandalf, from Tolkien's legendarium, whose name was taken from the Völuspá of the Poetic Edda's. Above all, Gandalf is a reinvigoration himself, a modern shape shifted expression of the old one eyed runemaster, Odin, the wanderer and prime god of the vikings. Cultures mixed, Norse - Gaels, Welsh and Saxons. 

Arthurian characters have had their fair share of reboots and retcons; the wild man Myrddin, Derfel the warrior and, the warlord, Arthur; they've all differed over the centuries. We may never uncover an exact history. It's up to us as individuals to make up our own minds. 

The Televised Show

The latest depiction of Merlin in the recent Winter King TV show, is portrayed by a person of a different heritage to the archetypal Merlin and discontent has rained down across review websites. Cornwell and supporters of the casting choice forwarded the case that the Winter King took place very shortly after the Romans left Britain. Cool. It is a respectable theory that people of colour were in Roman ranks. However, the times are off. Rome withdrew in 410 CE, but the story is set in the latter part of the fifth century continuing into the sixth, generations later. After generations of breeding with the native women Merlin, would have most likely resembled his archetype. The apologetics fail, leaving doubt that the casting was nothing other than a bending of the knee to modern inclusivity and wokism. 

The evidence proving the presence of African or Romano-African soldiers, individuals or black communities is lacking—yet, this doesn't mean they did not exist.  Bede, Gildas and Tacitus are highly sourced historical writers who Bernard Cornwall must have used to shape The Winter King, but I cannot find anything in their sources online or in my own books. Eitherway, this avenue doesn't need exploration, Bernard Cornwell originally did Merlin traditionally in print, but then, sold the character off, which is what good authors are supposed to do, to be fair. 

The most disappointing thing is the insensitivity of hinting at Merlin's Roman ancestry; Rome massacred the druids at Anglesey, we lost all knowledge of druidic celtic briton, they violated Boudicca and subdued many more. However, druidry is still mysticised because of the absent history. The druids are meaningful and retain significance, and interest, not only in Arthurian legend, but culturally and historically. Cornwell's printed Merlin, is a thoughtful portrait on multiple layers; a man trying to restore the old ways, he carried loss, and struggled within his political, social, and religious landscape as an old schemer, stubbornly fighting his battles against the Saxons and Christians.The Winter King televised series should not have deviated from the written ethos. 

What Are Cartoon Archetypes?

Do Cartoons Use Archetypes to Reflect Society? 

Do Stereotypes Enhance or Diminish Cartoon Quality?

4 to 6 min read

Well, hello there! Today I came across an interesting blog by Annie Weatherwax about archetypes inr elation to illustrations and cartoons. This piece grabbed my attention, given my own, previous blog on archetypes and, uh, well—I like to dabble with cartoons. 

With regards to a lot of media, especially cartoons, creative people automatically use archetypes. If we get scientific about it, could we say archetyping has always been our natural way of nailing people down? Take the archetypal doting mother; it could only have been accepted as a 'thing' after people had spoken about the 'those types' of mothers who excessively nurture. We've been tokening archetypes over our history. I've probably missed something somewhere, but cartoons do play on them. 

Why Are Archetypes Important in Cartoons? 

Before a psychiatrist brands a patient with a mental condition, many of the DSM-V boxes will need ticking first. Cartoonist's draw up illustrations based on archetypes, and stereotypes. New archetypes have to be recognised, and then tokened as a 'human thing' before it goes viral, like with the modern 'Katen,' or those overly 'analytical atheist' types, for example. It's swings and roundabouts. Capturing the essence of people's behaviour. 

What Makes a Compelling Character Relatable Beyond Their Archetype?

Hold on, uh, don't think I'm saying all cartoonists are mentally ill. A few of us are quite normal. I'm just saying there're other tantalizing things to incorporate into your work other than an archetypal model. I'll admit to gladly enjoying cheeky stereotypes and vulgarity when I do a cartoon. Parody is another word for it, according to the great Instagram. I might try a touch of satire, in all fairness, I only tend to do gag cartoons. 

Understanding the Collective Unconscious in Art

Annie's blog explains Jungian prototypes very well, but I'm not of the initiated, I view what Jung called the 'collective unconscious' in a different way to how he did. I see the collective unconscious in the same light as I see human morality: without mystery; socially constructed and existing in the human mind and accepted as some inherent nature when it's not. Cross pollination of culture could also explain aspects of the collective unconcious, historically spreading deep symbolic themes and values across the world. 

When I create a cartoon, I find amusement in emphasising societies common forms of ugliness, our dibshittery. I try to promote our lack of grace, the human screwball scramble. It can be a challenge to accurately turn my stupid mental imagery into an picture. 

What Happens When You Create Art Without Archetypes?

My previous blog about archetypes agrees that they are exaggerated, but compelling characters that re-incarnate that punch of character inspiration. I posited the idea that we, as  people, do the same. Almost every boy, years ago, wanted to be Han Solo. I saw many of them modify their behaviour to mirror that lovable rogue. Well, before Star Wars, those qualities were recognised by George Lucas in Errol Flynn, James Dean and Humphrey Bogart. They shaped Han Solo. My friends who practiced the Han Solo swagger, were unknowingly strutting like James Dean. Okay, so did I! 

All that caricaturing; mannerisms, villainous squints, the intense stare, tough guy side glances, the put-on manly voice, all these idiosyncrasies that personify our character development aren't archetypes themselves. Wallace and Gromit wordlessly purvey inner thought very well. Wallace has many archetypes but his soul comes from how he carries them. 

We enjoy artistic content when there is something that resonates with us, it's immersive. I believe artistry is not simply relatability alone or indeed, solely archetypes, but rather how they are brought to life. We gauge our environment going on how relatable things are for us. Wallace is a loveable waffling character: a genius inventor, typical English man, but only because it's how he is animated, designed, postured, voiced and facially expressed. This artistry is key above all else, but that's only my opinion. 

For The Sake of Your Sanity I'll Stop! 

I appeal to Caravaggio's powerful art. His work will grasp the viewer, because of that very realistic human physiology. Those composed scenes of drama and tragedy. His art is pure immersion, because he put meat on the bone, then gave it emotion. I like to try and do a stupid-ass version of that.

Most art based on humans naturally contains something archetypal, the challenge may be to try one without any archetype or stereotype, just to see how weird and wonderful your cartoons can be. 

Saint Derfel

The Legend of King Arthur: Derfel Cadarn. 

Celtic Britons

3 to 4 min read

While I was reading about the intimidating nature of Derfel Cadarn, I couldn't help but notice his immense power in the various poems and annales—he fought the Anglo-Saxons in Edinburgh and across England and Wales. He was a renowned man; a man who serves as the central character in Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles. Though a work of fiction, it's based on historical events from the British wars fending off the Germanic influx of invaders. Derfel Cadarn is rightly portrayed as an exceptionally skilled and courageous fighter. This led me to wonder about the true identity of the historical figure behind the character, Saint Derfel, and what we might glean from that era.

I found a man called Saint Derfel who lived in Wales during the 6th century. He was highly revered by the Catholic Church. Prior to his priesthood, he was likely a trained warrior, which is what Cornwell's book focuses on. After the great Roman departure from Celtic Britain, Roman culture remained somewhat, but the old tribal tensions returned, and territorial dispute fragmented the land. War was everywhere. Irish pirates, Picts, Saxons and neighbouring tribes. 

Derfel was a proficient and fierce fighter who led a troop of his own. However, he was not only proficient at killing, but also extremely loyal and honourable to King Arthur. What sets him apart is that he encompasses dual qualities, being both a warrior and later, a priest, a hero and a sinner. This combination makes him a compelling character, and on that, I recommend reading the Winter King by Bernard Cornwell.

It is true, Derfel Cadarn is associated with King Arthur in legend, but it is unclear whether he actually fought alongside any King Arthur-like figure back in those ancient times. That being said, sources still mention Derfel Cadarn as being with the legendary Arthur himself. I would have been terrified to fight alongside these men; hearing the dying broadcast their agonising pleas to their gods, haunting the crimson battlefield. They expected all men to fight and few survived to see their twilight years. 

Consider, the Triad of Welsh Tales and Legends of Medieval Wales, De Feuer (Derfel) is mentioned as one of the 'three best knights in Arthur's court'. The 7th-century Welsh epic 'Y Gododdin' celebrates Derfel as a warrior who fought alongside other heroes at the Battle of Catret, including Gwavrdur, a possible pre-curse of todays legendary King Arthur. However, we cannot prove Gwawrddur is really King Arthur. In later Welsh writing, Derfel is a close confidant of Arthur, and is centred within numerous of Arthur's battles.

Discerning fact from fiction is very difficult. Are these stories based on any particular historical truth? People may claim these legends come from pure mythology—what inspires our mythology? Marching directly into a fight with hordes of murderous, Germanic invaders, who were militarily superior? It seemed like imminent death, near suicide, but these resilient Romano-Celtic Britons used strategy and terrified them. After the Anglo-Saxon loss at the Battle of Badon, the invaders kept away from the Britons decades. 

In the Winter King, Derfel's story is about bravery, loyalty and honour during challenging times. This all had a significant impact on everyone's lives. During the Celtic wars against the invading Anglo-Saxons, individuals such as Derfel Cadarn emerged as true examples on how to take the fight to the invaders.

Is DC's Cyborg Rubbish?

The Cybernetic Outcast: A Symbol for the Futurist

3 to 4 min read

Victor Stone, the Cyborg, always comes across as a bit of a miserable bastard because he is, literally, the internet on legs. To be realistic just trying to log on to my bank is a right pain in the arse! Could you imagine all the popups and ads this bloke must get when he's just trying to buy himself a new waterproof coat? Yes, he's science and technology incarnate, but is that necessarily as glorious as they try to make it seem? If he already is the symbol of what we are becoming his head must be so Tik Tok sodden, Pornhubbed up to the temporal lobes, 4channed to the point of social media psychosis. Yes, he may well be beyond GCHQ, Mossad, MI6 and every other secret service, but this bloke'll be taking more pop-ups than anyone: constant invitations to try male enhancing pills, personality quizzes and not to mention years worth videos showing imbeciles punching each other in the crown jewels, because that's the internet! All that nasty porn and the onlyfans flirts — this man has no cock or bollocks! No wonder he's packing disappointment.

In those shit Justice League films, and the improved Snyder cut offering, we understandably see Cyborg struggle. Come on? he's not just adapting to his cybernetic enhancements, but having to come to terms with the obvious, a truth even Wonder Woman avoided like the plague. Just showing a bit of effort to fight for the greater good is pretty outstanding for anyone in his situation. He is a great example of the estranged outcast, self-ostracised or the proverbial lone wolf, but he is primarily emasculated, but we all ignore that! He tries, in the Justice League films to make bonds with Flash and Wonder woman somewhat, but not so much with Batman or Superman the most manly characters because of the risky banter, I guess. However, along with the man of Steel (a name that must add insult to injury) and Lantern, he can fly! Yes, we saw him weaponise his cybernetic body, turning his arm into a rifle, but not a fun gun. So bloody bleak.


In Teen Titans Go!, the series by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, Cyborg is quite funny! He's an animated singing and dancing, crime-fighting comedian, who loves pie! Totally different to the movie, as expected. I've watched hours of this show with our little ones, for me it's all about the caricatures, especially of Batman and Gordon, but I do like Beast Boy and Cyborg.

During the war with Darkseid, Cyborg and the rest of the Justice League, fought bravely. This other castrated comic version of Victor Stone was holding his own, then smash! I was quite surprised, I thought he was going to die! He took a nasty hit. The incident was also in the corresponding Justice League: War animated movie. I am glad he was added to the league roster, he works well but seems to be a tad bit of a token black guy? No? There's never any Kazakhstani superheroes either. Cyborg has become increasingly more popular over the last decade; he also appeared in the animated Justice League movies as well as the Doom Patrol show, which I was so tempted to watch but thought better of it and declined; he looked like a cosplayer on a cruel budget. The animated movie gave me diarrhea, well logorrhea, I couldn't stop ranting at the television. 



His tragic backstory in the comic books and cinema are slightly different. A horrible accident leaves him profoundly worse for wear and disabled. His life, however in the comic books, is saved by his father's proficiency with advanced technology, yes: his dad built the Cyborg.


The movies implementation of an advanced technological mother box from the planet Apokolypse is a great backstory. Superduper self-aware alien tech that merges with a eunuch, making a trans-human. I love it. The older comic versions hold little to no believability, but to say a single human created all of Victor Stones cybernetics means he retains his meat and two veg in one iteration, because in the accident he has his legs and wedding tackle in place. In print you can analyse these Stones more closely!


Speaking of performance, I've heard people say that Cyborg has always played an important role in the portrayal of disabled people in comics. No he hasn't! He can fly, and punch through walls, I promise you he would not qualify for personal independence payments or disability living allowance. His stories of adaptation and overcoming obstacles might resonate well with many readers but other characters do the same! I think Barbara Gordon is a better candidate for people with disabilities, given how she was shot and had to use a wheelchair for years!